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News feature: September 20, 2007

McQuaid challenges Spanish to do DNA analysis

One group believes there may be questions to be answered, others insist that
the rider is innocent and being victimised. However there is a chance for Alejandro
Valverde to clear his name and to perhaps ride the Worlds in Stuttgart. Will
he take it? Cyclingnews' Shane Stokes reports.

As the world road race championships draw ever closer, the UCI and the Spanish
cycling federation continue to be at loggerheads over the participation of Alejandro
Valverde in Stuttgart. On Wednesday UCI President Pat McQuaid pointed out that
there is an easy way to remove a major question mark hanging over Valverde,
if he is indeed innocent of doping.

In an 'all cards on the table' move, the Irishman has called for DNA analysis
of one of the blood bags seized under the Operación Puerto investigation,
saying that if the Spaniard is in the clear, this would serve to show that bag
number 18 - corresponding to the codename 'Valv. Piti' - has no connection to
the Caisse d'Epargne rider.

Both the Spanish cycling federation and the country's President of Spain's
Superior Council of Sports (CSD) Jaime Lissavetzky have recently backed Valverde,
saying that they consider that there is no new evidence to suggest guilt.

"It's simple. Get the DNA in bag number 18 compared to Valverde's
DNA...if it comes out negative, then that clears him."

-McQuaid on his preferred method of resolving
the Valverde saga.

However after reviewing the full 6,000 page dossier on the Operación
Puerto case, the UCI sees things otherwise and feels there are enough grounds
for further investigation. Valverde previously admitted working with Doctor
Eufemiano Fuentes while with Kelme but insisted that he has never doped. There
have however been persistent rumours that the Spaniard was indeed involved and
that the blood bag may be his. In January the newspaper ABC printed details
of the alleged link and in May, La Gazzetta dello Sportwent
further.

As reported earlier on
Cyclingnews, UCI president Pat McQuaid recently sent a letter to Lissavetzky
expressing his concern at the turn of affairs. It is known that he is frustrated
that the rider has been publicly supported by such a high-profile figure, plus
the Spanish federation, rather than being subjected to the requested investigation.

WADA and the IOC were also sent a copy of the letter, and it is believed that
the former has backed the UCI's position in the matter.

McQuaid said on Wednesday that there is a simple way to prove the rider's innocence
if he is indeed telling the truth. "The information we have suggests that
bag number 18 may belong to Alejandro Valverde," he told Cyclingnews.
"If Jaime Lissavetzky is so concerned about things, then he should go and
get it compared. That stops the arguments.

"It's simple. Get the DNA in bag number 18 compared to Valverde's DNA...if
it comes out negative, then that clears him. That [the allegations about bag
number 18] is one of the main elements that there is against him. The analysis
is a simple thing to do. The Germans have done it, the Italians have done it,
so why can't the Spanish do it?"

Willing to prove his innocence?

Alejandro Valverde was one of many riders who signed
the UCI's 'Commitment for a New Cycling' prior to the start of the Tour de France.
In doing so, he undertook to provide DNA if required. The UCI is thought to
already have several samples of blood from him due to the health checks that
have been carried out, and so one half of the DNA requirement is already available
to be examined.

The other, blood bag number 18, is in the possession of those who have been
carrying out the Operación Puerto investigation. The case has
been in limbo ever since the investigating judge said that Fuentes appeared
not to have broken the Spanish law which was in existence at the time; the UCI
has appealed this decision, but there has been no indications as to if or when
it might be resumed. However it is thought that Lissavetsky's influence would
be enough to enable the comparison if the will was there.

For now, the only legal movement is the threat made by the Spanish cycling
federation to take action over the decision not to allow Valverde to take part
in the world championships. McQuaid said that any such action would be vigorously
opposed by the UCI.

"When we look at the information that we have, it indicates that there
is still a lot of doping activity going on in Spain."

"They are talking about legal action in relation to Valverde. Their first
choice is CAS [the Court of Arbitration for Sport] but they can't go directly
to CAS, they need the UCI to agree to do it. I don't think we need to agree
to that, but it is something that we would consider.

"They have legal recourse to either CAS or a Swiss court. It is up to
them to decide what they want to do. But either way, we will certainly defend
the position that we are in."

McQuaid's letter to Lissavetzky also reportedly voiced concerns about continued
doping by some [unnamed] Spanish riders. He confirmed that the UCI is indeed
suspicious that something is going on with some of them.

"When we look at the information that we have, it indicates that there
is still a lot of doping activity going on in Spain," he stated. "The
blood checks that we do can tell us a lot. There is an area of concern there.
However we don't feel that the authorities in Spain are adequately concerned
about this and are dealing with it."

Extra controls at the Worlds

Once country which is undeniably cooperating well with anti-doping initiatives
is Germany, hosts to the upcoming world championships in Stuttgart. In recent
days a strong collection of measures have been announced,
including extra blood and urine controls plus the storing of samples for later
testing for growth hormone use.

McQuaid said that these are being done in order to severely limit the chance
of riders doping at the championships. "These have come about as a result
of the meeting I had with the organisers of the worlds and with the German Minister
of the Interior several weeks ago," he explained. "We agreed that
a programme of anti-doping activity would be carried out prior to the world
championships, with fairly heavy controls being done in order to ensure that
the world championships are free of problems.

"Also, we agreed at that time as well that all of the teams riding the
world championships would ask all of the riders taking part in the races to
sign a document, something along the lines of the document that was signed before
the Tour de France [the Riders's Commitment to a New Cycling]. Of course, for
under 23 and women it will be a slightly different document than that for professional
riders, but it is all a step in the right direction."

Indeed any such measures should help to boost confidence in those who will
compete in Stuttgart. This document plus the additional tests are about removing
doubt, eliminating any questions which might be hanging over some riders. Valverde
is one who is under intense scrutiny; if he agrees to the DNA analysis, it would
go a long way towards reassuring the UCI and the media that he was telling the
truth all along about Fuentes. Will he do so? Time will tell, even if time is
running out.